Microwave and millimeter-wave coaxial connectors are extensively employed to interconnect various components of a communications system with coaxial cable. These components are typically carried on a printed wiring board that is housed in a metallic enclosure. Connections into, and out of, said enclosure are accomplished by shielded coaxial connections, such that there is a continuous boundary of metal around the entire microwave circuitry. The coaxial connectors are fastened to the wall of the metallic enclosure. A feed-through system is used to provide communication between the coaxial connector and the printed wiring board circuit housed in the metallic enclosure.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are simplified representations of a microwave printed wiring board in an enclosure 11 with coaxial connectors 12 in accordance with the prior art. The connector 12 is an SMA type, however other types of coaxial connectors such as N type or BNC are also possible. A printed wiring board 14 having strip-line leads 17 interconnecting various components is carried inside the enclosure 11. The standard practice is to solder the feed-through pin 18 to the printed wiring board strip-line lead 17.
There are several significant disadvantages to soldering a feed-through pin to the printed wiring board strip-line 17. The solder joint is rigid and brittle, thermal expansions and contractions over time leads to fatigue and eventual failure of the solder connection. Furthermore in order to remove the connector or printed wiring board for repair or replacement, the solder material needs to be removed, a process that can easily damage the printed wiring board. Both soldering and de-soldering are time consuming operations that require skilled labor.